Illuminated indicator



Oct. 23, 1923. 1,471,337

P. A. JOHNSON ILLUMINATED INDICATOR Filed April 28. 1923 Patented Oct. 23, 1923.

UNITED STATES PAUL IOHNSON, 01' DENVER, COLORADO.

muma'ran INDICATOR.

Application fllcd April 28, 1923. Serial Io. 685,808.

This invention relates to means for'dis la ing a sign or number and while particuar y useful and valuableto display automobile license numbers will be found equally valuable in many other installations.

The principal object of the invention is to rovide means for obtainin maximum visiility of the indication bot day and night ,A further object, pertaining to the use of the invention on automobiles, is to provide identification means in addition to the license number.

A still further object is to so construct the indicating portion of the tag that it mi ht be used singly without the i1 umination eature if desired.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detailed construction of the invention, which result in simplicity, economy and efiiciency, and which will become more apparent from the followin description.

In the fol owing detailed description of the invention reference is had to the accompanyin drawing which forms a part hereof. Li e numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the descri tion.

In t e drawing Fig. 1 is front elevation of one form of'the invention.

Fig. 215 vertical cross section taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail cross sectional view of the transparent or translucent medium employed in the invention.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of an alternate form of the invention. The shading in this view represents color.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an imroved automobile license plate which could be adapted for use with or without the balance of the-invention.

Let the numeral indicate an automobile license plate, preferably black in color, the characters of which are cut out as indicated at 11. Licensaplate 10 is furnished withan attached plate .24 of lighter mate-' rial, as shown at 25. Plate 24 is white in color and vividly outlines the cut out characters in the black plate 10. The two plates 10 and 24, when used without the other features of the invention, to be described, form a license tag of greater visibility than the ones at Ipresent in use and it has the additional a vantage in that the plate 24 can be removed and the stencil plate 10 placed in a light containing box 12 for night illumina- Box 12 comprises two sections, 13 and 14, hinged together, as shown at 15, and secured in the closed position by. means of any suitable catch 16. A light bulb 17 serves to illuminate light box 12'at ni ht. One face 18 of the box 12 is closed an the opposite face is provided with window 19 having a metallic frame 20.

The plate 10 is placed in the window 19 against the frame 20 and a translucent late 21 is secured against the inner face 0 the plate 10. The translucent late 21 is one of the principal features of the invention and its construction and princi 1e, as applied to an application of this c aracter, is believed to be new and novel.

Plate 21 is so constructed as to show perfectly white in the daytime, so as to throw the characters into bold relief, and brilliant red when illuminated at night. This result is obtained byhaving the side of the plate 21, towards the plate 10, of white translucent material and the opposite side, towards the light 17, of red translucent material. As illustrated plate 21 consists of a sheet of white translucent glass colored on the inner face with red translucent color, as shown in Fig. 3, but ma formed in many ways such as froste glass colored on the back or by two glasses one white and one red, if desired.

In the form shown in Fig. 4, the name of the automobile carryin the device is cut out in stencil form in the ame20of the box 12, as indicated at 22. This name being in front of the white side of the translucent plate 21 will show white in the day time but the-Trear of the plate '21 is so colored at this point as to show at night a color correspondingrto the color of the car carrying the plate. or instance, supposing the automobile, shown in the background of Fig. 4, at 23, is a blue Pa e, the name Page would appear at 22 in lue letters. This would serve as an additional identification at night when without it, it might be impossible to ascertain the Ill make oi color of the car. At night the red rays of light coming through the characters of late 10 would serve as a tail-light and ma 'e a separate si al unnecessary.

In Fig. 4 the co or indications are shown as they would appear at night with the light box 12 illuminated.

A colored translucent medium, when interposed in a beam of light, has the property of absorbing all light was which are complementary to its color, t us a red medium will absorb all but the red rays corresponding to its color. Therefore, in this invention, the light transmitted to the white translucent material consists wholly of red rays. White, being a combination of all colors, has no complementary color, as complementary colors are defined as those colors which combined with the given color produce white, and will therefore absorb no color and allow all of the color rays to pass. The red rays will therefore pass through the white translucent material with their color unim aired. They will, however, be somewhat diminished in intensity in pro rtion to the opa ueness of the white material. This may be emo'nstrated by viewing a thin sheet of white paper before the light and placing papers of various colors between the white paper and the light.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired understood that the same may be varied, within the sec e of the a pended claims, without departing from t e spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim and desire secured by Letters Patent is:-

1. Indicating means comprising a plate havin cut out characters; a translucent plate behind the former plate, said translucent plate being white on the front face and colored on the rear face and means for illuminating the rear of said translucent plate.

2. Indicating means comprising a plate having cut-out characters; a li ht source; a translucent medium arranged tween said light source and said late, said translucent medium being colore on the side toward said 11 ht source so as to permit the passage of co ored light rays from said source throu h said plate and colored on' the side towar said p ate to reflect light ra of a color differing from those transmitte therethrough. a

3. Indicating means for an automobile comprising, a cut out plate bearing the name of the automobile; a translucent plate behind said cut out plate, said translucent plate bein white on the face toward said out out p ate and colored on the opposite face to correspond to the color of said automobile, and means for illuminating the colored face of said translucent plate.

4. Indicating means for an automobile comprising an opaque plate with cut out characters showing the license number and name of said automobile; a translucent plate arranged behind said opaque plate, said translucent plate being white on the face toward said opaque plate and colored on the opposite facehind said license number red and behind said name to correspond to the color of said automobile, and means for illuminating the colored face of said translucent plate.

In testimony whereof I aflix m si PAUL A. J O

ature. ON.

1923, upon glfiwflicafion of Paul, A. Johnson; of

Certificate of Correction. It is hemb certified that in Letters Patent- No. 1 4715837, gmtad; otober- 23, lsexivet, C l orado, for on improvement in uminnbed Imhcntors,v an error appears in the printed specificetion iring correction as follows: In the drawing Fig. 5, for .tlie reference numeral 13 read 26,- and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this orrection therein that theme may conform to the record of the'caaa in the'Pltent Oflie. e I

' S gnuhnd Sealed this 5th day of February, A. DJ, 1924.

II J r -WM.A. KINNAN,

.- 9 001m of Paton. 

